Christmas Miracle
by Aruna Hart
Summary: When the Hardy Family faces a terrible discovery at Christmas, what they need is a miracle.
1. Christmas Tidings

Seven-year-old Joe Hardy sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office playing blocks with his brother. They'd been waiting for an hour while their parents were in the back talking to the doctor. Eight-year-old Frank had been having severe headaches the past few weeks and Doctor Berlin had said he knew why.

Joe was getting restless. He wanted to go home and write another letter to Santa. He'd thought of three more toys he wanted. Christmas was only two weeks away so he needed to hurry if Santa was going to have time to make them!

Suddenly, he heard the voices of his parents down the hall. Finally, they could go home. Something was wrong though. His mother had been crying; her eyes were red and puffy. His father's eyes were shining with unshed tears. What was the matter?

"Mom?" Frank asked. "Are you ok?"

"Yes baby, I'm fine. Come here," She pulled him into a big hug. "Let's go home." Fenton turned and told the doctor good-bye. Then, the foursome walked out to the car.

Joe knew better than to tell his parents about the toys he'd thought of while waiting. Their faces were frightened. His mom had wet streaks across her pale cheeks. His dad just stared straight ahead as if concentrating really hard on the road in front of him.

Once they were home, Laura told the boys to go play, then she prepared dinner. She made Frank's favorite meal; fried chicken with potatoes and mushrooms. Joe looked around the kitchen and on the stove.

Why did Frank get his favorite food? Joe liked pizza better. Laura usually made pizza when she made fried chicken. She forgot about me! The thought tore into Joe brain. Frank's sick so he gets all the attention and they forget about me!

"Come eat boys!" Laura called. Joe reluctantly sat down at the table and promptly stuck his tongue out at Frank. Frank retaliated by kicking Joe under the table.

Joe started to say something then stopped, remembering the last time something like this happened. Joe told on Frank and then Frank told on Joe and Joe got punished. Nope, Joe thought smugly, I'll get even later. Maybe he might steal Frank's computer game. Entertaining this thought, he quietly finished the meal.

After dinner Laura and Fenton ushered the boys into the living room. Joe climbed up on his father's lap. "Boys, there's something we need to tell you." Fenton began.

"It's about my headaches isn't it?" Frank asked suddenly. Joe looked quizzically at his parents waiting to hear their answer. He had been thinking the same thing Frank was thinking. His bright blue eyes locked with his mothers, waiting for her to answer.

"Yes, it is. Frank dear, you get headaches because there is a lump in your brain that shouldn't be there," stated Laura pulling Frank onto her lap and running her thin fingers through his thick brown hair.

"What kind of a lump?" Frank asked his eyes going wide: fear creeping into them.

Suddenly, Joe cut in, unworried by his parents news. "Can I feel it?" Joe cut in. "Chet got a lump when he fell off his bike last week and it got bigger than an egg!"

"No sweetie," Laura gave a sad smile. "It's a lump under Frank's skull."

"Will it go away?" Frank asked wide-eyed.

"Not by itself. It needs some help." Fenton told him.

"He needs an ice pack," Joe stated as if he had solved the problem. His parents flashed him a questioning glance and he explained, "That made Chet's lump go down."

"An ice pack won't work with this kind of lump." Laura again looked at Frank. Joe wished she'd stop doing that. Every time she looked sadder and sadder. That scared him.

"How do I get rid of it?" Frank looked at his mother with frantic eyes. Joe hopped down from Fenton's lap.

"It's ok Frank. Dad can get rid of it just like he gets the bad guys. This lump is bad too, so Dad can get it good and put it away." Joe grinned.

"No Joe. It's not that simple." Fenton took a deep breath and looked at his younger son. "This isn't like the bad guys. I can't make it go away. The only person who can is Dr. Berlin."

"The test that Frank took today gives Dr. Berlin an idea of how big and what kind of lump it is. We'll know more in about a week." Laura hugged Frank and kissed his forehead. "Now why don't you and Joe go play? There's nothing for you to worry about."

That was all Joe needed to hear. He was out the door in a flash. If his parents said not to worry, then he trusted them. He felt a bit unsure though. Why were they upset? Oh well, parents did weird stuff all the time, like making you eat vegetables and saying they were good. Joe sighed and waited for Frank.

Frank watched Joe as he quickly exited the room. Then he turned back to his parents pondering what they had told him. "Is it really bad?" he asked.

"We don't know yet. But," Laura paused, "You don't need to worry. Let Dr. Berlin examine the results. You go enjoy this break from school." Well, if they said he didn't need to worry then he wouldn't. Giving Laura a grin he followed Joe. However, he kept wondering why his parents were so upset earlier.

The next week flew by, and found Joe humming 'Jingle Bells' as he cleaned his room, a rare occurrence. A few minutes later he went out to the mailbox and came back inside just as the phone rang.

"What were you doing outside?" Frank asked as Joe stomped the snow off his boots.

"I was mailing a letter to Santa. Did you write one yet? You'd better hurry. He might not have time to get all your things together if you don't mail it soon!" Joe cheeks glowed.

"Why would I waste time writing to Santa. He doesn't exist," Frank turned to go back up stairs.

"Yes he does!" Joe shouted his blue eyes turning ice cold. "If you say that he won't bring you anything!"

"No he doesn't." Frank replied. Joe never answered him. Instead he tackled Frank. The two boys went down hard and began wrestling on the floor. They rolled this way and that. Suddenly, they rammed into a lamp table and the light came crashing down, shattering into millions of tiny pieces. Fenton and Laura came running into the room.

"What on Earth is going on here?" Laura exclaimed, pulling a kicking Joe off Frank.

"He said there ain't no Santa Clause!" Joe pointed an accusing finger. "He can't say that or he won't get any Christmas!"

"But there isn't one." Frank stated simply. Joe started to say something.

"That's enough!" Fenton demanded. "Joe go to your room. Frank come into the kitchen." He left the room with Frank in tow.

"Joe dear, obey your father." Laura gave Joe a gentle nudge towards the steps then followed Fenton into the kitchen. Joe acted like he went up the stairs but stayed hidden around the corner.

"Frank, I know that Santa is not real," he heard Fenton say. "But why did you tell Joe that?"

"But it's true!" Frank complained.

"I know but let him be little for a while. He's going to need that," Laura broke off. Joe was stunned. His parents said that Santa wasn't real, but before they always told him Santa was. He was getting ready to go upstairs when he heard his father mention the doctor.

"Frank, the doctor just called with the results of your test. We're not going to lie to you. We think you're old enough to know. The lump in your brain is cancer. It needs to be removed as soon as possible."

"Cancer?" Frank questioned. He knew what cancer was. Grandpa Hardy had it before he died two years ago. Frank gasped, "Am I going to die?" His voice was almost a whisper, and his eyes were frightened.

Joe peered around the corner terrified. Frank had actually asked the same thing Joe wanted to know. What would their parents answer?

"There is a possibility that if they don't get the lump out soon enough that you may die. We're going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening. Chemotherapy also might work along with an operation." Fenton couldn't go on any further.

"Frank," Laura spoke, trying not to shed tears, "You can't tell Joe."

"You mean he won't know?" Frank asked bewildered.

"We think it's best that he doesn't know. We'll just tell him that you are going to spend a few days at the hospital where they will make your headaches go away." Laura prompted

"What about that I might die?" A stunned and confused Frank plopped tearfully on the floor with a thud.

"No, we don't want him to know that." Fenton stated firmly. Joe couldn't listen anymore.

"You LIED," he screamed, emerging into the kitchen. "You said that Santa was real. You said that Frank would be okay. You lied to me. You were going to lie again. I hate you! You ruined Christmas! There isn't any Christmas!" Joe's little body shook with emotion. He ran out the back door and slammed it behind him.


	2. Vanishing Game

Joe dove under the back deck trying to keep his breathing quite. He heard the back door open; he stayed still not making a sound. He heard heavy footsteps above his head. They can't find me! He thought.

"Joe!" Fenton yelled. "Joe, come on back in. At least get your jacket on."

Joe still didn't move. After a few minutes, Fenton went back inside. Joe slid out from under the deck, needing to move fast before his dad came back out. He started running across the lawn and a few moments later he had made it to a path that led to the woods. The woods were a park about five minutes from the Hardy residence.

Joe ran for all he was worth. "Get to the fort. Get to the fort." The fort was a small rundown shack near a creek that ran through the woods. Frank and Joe had found it last summer. Joe kept some things there in case he had to 'investigate' something. Now the fort was a place where he could hide and think about what was happening.

Finally he reached it. Opening the door he walked inside. His head was hurting. All this new information was confusing him. He pushed the door closed and turned to go to his favorite corner. However, much to Joe's surprise someone else was in the fort too – a man he'd never seen before. Being a PI, Joe's father had instructed the boys in staying away from people they'd never seen before. His daddy had been worried that an old enemy might hurt them and the older man also wanted his boys to know to be cautious around strangers. Joe had even been kidnapped when he was three but he didn't remember it because he was so little. Mommy had told him about it though and it sounded scary.

So Joe did the only thing he could think of and tried to leave the fort but someone came up from behind him and pushed a smelly rag over his mouth and nose.

A few moments later, the two men left the building carrying an unconscious Joe.

Back at the Hardy home, Fenton was searching the yard. "Joe! Please come out from where ever you're hiding!" He looked for ten more minutes then went inside.

"Did you find him?" Laura asked.

"No, that boy is an excellent hider. Frank do you know where he might have gone?"

"No... Hey… wait a minute! I bet he went to the fort!" Frank shouted excitedly. Quickly he gave Fenton instructions on how to get there. A few minutes later, Fenton arrived at the shanty. Little footprints lead the way to the door Fenton smiled sadly. Frank had been right about where Joe would be. How could he, as a father, not even know where his own children played? He opened it and went inside. Immediately he noticed something wrong. A cigar smoke smell permeated the room. Fenton's detective instinct kicked in. That smell shouldn't be there. Cautiously, he looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but he couldn't be sure. He went outside and walked around the fort. There were big footprints leading away towards an old fire trail, but no smaller ones and Joe was nowhere to be seen.

Fenton ran like mad back to the house. Bursting into the kitchen he grabbed the phone. "Hello? Collig? Fenton Hardy here. I need your help – I think Joe's been kidnapped."

Several hours later, only officers Collig and Riley remained at the site of probable abduction. "I'm sorry Fenton," Collig stated. "But we have nothing to go on. Let's go back to your house and see if there's any word there." Slowly the three men started back toward the house.

Several minutes later, Con Riley opened the mailbox and saw a letter. Picking it up, he saw childish handwriting – Joe's. He ran inside.

"Ezra, Fenton look at this!" he called.

Fenton's hands trembled as he removed a sheet of paper from the envelope. There in Joe's childish script was a note:

Deer Santa,

I no that I kept asking you for stuff but this time its not a toy. My brother Frank has a bump in his head. Mom and Dad say it's ok and not worry, but that's not true I see it in there faces. Mom is real sad and so is Dad. So insted of toys for Chrismas all I want is for Frank's bump to go away so he don't get head hurts and Mom and Dad are hapy. If it's to big for one Chrismas then make it one big present for all the rest of my life. Frank's better than a toy. I'll be super good and I even cleaned my room.

Please say yes,

Joe Hardy (36 Elm Street Bayport New York United States just in case there are two Joe's or you lose your map)

When Fenton finished reading the letter, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

As his parents and the police were talking, Frank quietly slipped into the living room. Amazed, he realized Joe was willing to never get any Christmas presents again just so his big brother would get better. Frank felt horrible; Joe, the little brother he chided earlier, really believed in Santa. He had to make it right.

Waiting till no one was looking the dark-haired boy slipped out the front door. I am going to be a detective, Frank thought as he started walking to the 'crime scene' as he now thought of it. He just made it to the creek when he heard a twig snap behind him. Spinning around he came face to face with a mean looking man.

"Ah, I see you came to me as well. Now that I have both of Hardy's brats he can pay for what he did," the man grabbed Frank. The young boy struggled, but it was useless. The last thing he remembered was a rag placed over his face.

"Frank?" Laura called. So far she'd looked everywhere she could think of to find her son. Out of the blue, the phone rang. Rushing to the kitchen she saw Riley nod. The tap was ready.

She clicked on speaker phone. "Hello?"

"Put good old Fenton on!" a cold voice demanded. Fenton answered him.

"This is Fenton."

"Hardy, do you know where your children are?" the voice was eerie.

'Where's Frank?' Fenton mouthed to his wife.

'I can't find him,' she mouthed back.

"Where are my children?" he demanded into the phone.

"Safe for now. But soon they'll be dead just like my sons!" the caller hung up.

"No trace, the call wasn't long enough," Riley stated.

"I've heard that voice before," Fenton stated slowly. Suddenly it hit him. "I know who took them." Everyone looked up in surprise. "About five years ago when we lived in New York City there was an arson fire. A man, his brother, and his two sons ages 7 and 8 were trapped in their home. The brother escaped unharmed. The father of the boys tried to get to them and was badly burned. It destroyed his voice box. The boys were killed in the fire."

"But why is he after you," Riley asked.

"They arrested the wrong person for the murders. I proved he didn't do it. But, I never could prove who did. I guess he wanted someone to pay for his sons deaths."

"Let's see if he owns any property near here," Collig stated going to work on this new information.

Frank woke to Joe tapping his shoulder. "Come on Frank, wake up."

Frank blinked his eyes a few times and sat up. He felt dizzy.

"Where are we?" Frank asked looking at Joe with sorrowful eyes.

"We're in a cabin, but it has no windows and the door is locked. All we have is a fireplace." Joe looked panicked. Frank put his arm around him. They huddled under a boarded up window.

"Joe?" Frank asked. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you Santa didn't exist."

"He doesn't, does he?"

"He does! I stopped believing in him, but he does exist."

"But, Mom and Dad said..."

"They were trying to comfort me, Santa is real," Frank reassured him. He started to say more when they both noticed a strong smell of smoke.

Then through the cracks in the door they saw flames. Terrified, they screamed to be let out. A harsh voice replied.

"You must die to justify them! They shall be..." The rest of his words were erased by the sound of the flames getting worse by the second, hungrily eating the dry, old boards. The flames trapped the boys in the room with nowhere to go!


	3. The Miracle

"Fenton!" Officer Collig burst through the front door of the Hardy house.

"What is it?" Laura asked fearful of the worst.

"Marcus Danton purchased a cabin just outside of the Bayport Forest Park less than a week ago!" Collig slammed the realtor papers on the table.

"Well what are we waiting for? That must be where Frank and Joe are!" Fenton started for his car.

"The Chief has already sent officers ahead. I came to get you," Collig ushered both of the boys' parents to his patrol car. Within seconds, the vehicle was screeching out of the lane, sirens wailing.

Suddenly, a call for help came over the scanner. "Dispatch, smoke is coming from the woods beyond Danton's home. Fire rescue requested." Then shots were heard. The frightened officer called the dispatcher again. "Suspect is armed and dangerous! Shots fired! Shots fired! Back up needed NOW!"

Collig pushed the accelerator down as far as it would go, while Laura and Fenton prayed that their boys were safe.

Meanwhile, Frank and Joe were trying to pull the plywood off the windows.

"It's no use Joe. We aren't strong enough," Frank pulled Joe down to the floor where the air wasn't so smoky.

"But we have to get out! The fire's getting worse!" Joe was wide-eyed.

"Look!"

"At what Joe?" Frank asked.

"I didn't say anything. I thought you wanted me to look," Joe answered.

"Look." The voice commanded again. Frank glanced around but no one was there. Suddenly he spied the fireplace and an idea struck him.

"Joe! We need to get further away from the fire. Let's get in the fire place."

Quickly the boys crawled into the small opening. Smoke was starting to cover the floor and it was getting harder to breath.

"I wish we could go up the chimney like Santa does," Joe stated looking up. Frank sighed; at least Joe was back to his old self.

Sitting shoulder to shoulder they put their faces between their knees. Joe looked scared so Frank put an arm around him. Suddenly he felt a thump on his back, causing him to look up. A bright red rope was dangling down the chimney.

"Joe!" Frank jumped up, Joe following him. Joe reached out and touched the rope.

"Hold on tight!" a voice commanded them. They didn't argue. Slowly they were pulled up away from the searing heat and deadly flames. When they reached the top, Frank saw an old man leaning against the chimney. Suddenly, a crack startled both boys. They watched in horror as the one side of the house fell. Frank turned to face the man again and looked around in shock. No one was there! There was no time, however, to think more about it - the flames were getting worse.

Frank threw the red rope over the side of the rock chimney. "Stay close to the rocks on the way down so the flames don't get you," he told Joe.

Seconds later Joe's head disappeared over the edge. Frank gave him a few seconds then followed. Another crash shocked them as the walls all fell in on each other. Joe let go of the rope and fell the last 5 feet to the ground. Frank started to go down but the chimney started to lean into the remnants of the burning house. He took a deep breath and let go falling the last 8 feet. Lights flashed through his brain as he landed and he went unconscious.

***  
Immediately before the Hardy's arrived with Collig, Danton had been taken into custody. As Danton was placed in a car, Fenton ran up to him, "Where are my sons?"

"Burning alive," the man answered coldly. A smug smile spread across his face. Fenton wanted to kill the man but his children were more important. He took off running in the direction of the smoke that could be seen above the trees. Laura ran after him. They heard a crash and the crackling of the flames and ran faster. Just as they entered the clearing they watched as the entire structure fell into one big burning mass.

"Nooooo!" Laura screeched running forward. Fenton held her back, tears running down his face.

"It's too late," he whispered. Collig watched the scene with an aching heart. Suddenly a small cry echoed though the inferno. Could it be?

Amazed, the threesome watched as a blonde-haired little boy appeared from behind the house. His back was turned toward them because he was dragging something. Someone gasped as they realized it was another child!

"Joe?" Laura called hesitantly; the child turned to face her. His tear-filled eyes lit up and he ran to her.

"MOM!"

"Joe!" Mother and child embraced. Joe pulled away.

"Frank fell. He won't wake up!" he told her, crying.

"Shhh! It will be all right." Laura comforted.

Several hours later, the Hardy's and officers Collig and Riley waited in the waiting room of the Bayport Emergency Hospital. A doctor entered. "Hardy?" he asked.

"Here," Fenton stood up. "How's Frank?"

"Awake and asking to see you all," smiling the doctor led the way to Frank's room. The brown-headed boy looked up and grinned.

"Hi Frank! How are you feeling buddy?" Fenton leaded over patted the boy's head.

"Great! Did you find the rope? Did Joe tell you?"

"Yes, Joe told us what happened so we looked and looked. There was no rope, not even tiny threads of one." Con Riley told him.

"But there was one!" Frank insisted.

"We couldn't find it, but we do know that if you hadn't gone into the fireplace you would have been killed.

"What about the man?"

"The one that took you? He's in ..." Collig began, but Frank cut him off.

"No not him. The one that pulled us up the chimney."

"What man?" Joe asked.

"I saw him on the roof." Frank said. "Then the wall fell and he was just gone."

"There was no one else there, Frank." Fenton told him. Frank started to say more when the doctor reentered the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hardy when were the scans of Frank's brain done?" he asked.

"Last week," Laura answered.

Watching as the doctor frowned, Laura's heart dropped to her feet.

The tumor must be bigger.

"We'd like to redo some tests," the doctor looked up at them then went back to, flipping through notes and shaking his head.

"Certainly," Fenton replied tightly. This isn't happening, he thought and turned away.

The results hadn't come back when Frank was released the next day.

"Some Christmas Eve," Fenton thought as he watch Laura struggling not to break down while the boys made cookies for Santa as they listened to "All I Want For Christmas is You" on the radio.

It amazed Fenton that during the past few hours Frank had renewed his interest in Santa. He insisted that Santa was real and had saved them from the fire. For the first time in two years Frank was the one making sure that everything was perfect for Santa when he came.

Fenton heard the phone ring. Laura answered it, went upstairs, and shut the door to their room. Fenton got up and went into the kitchen. The boys were cleaning up by the sink. He heard the door to his room open and the phone drop. He started go up the stairs but Laura was running down them, her face tear-stained. "Oh no," he thought, thinking the worst.

But Laura wasn't crying, she was laughing.

"Gone!" she exclaimed. "The tumor is gone! Not even the slightest trace that it was ever there. Frank doesn't have cancer!" She picked up Frank and spun him in a circle. Suddenly smiles spread around the room. Fenton started laughing and Joe jumped up and down clapping and yelling.

"Merry Christmas, Fenty!" a voice said. Fenton looked around. No one had called him that since, well since he'd stopped believing in Santa Clause. Then, out the back door he saw a bright red sleigh streak across the sky.

Maybe he does exist, Fenton thought as Frank tugged at his sleeve.

"Come on Dad, read us 'The Christmas Story' before we go to bed so Santa can come." He and Joe raced out of the kitchen and Laura followed.

"Some Christmas indeed," he whispered with a smile and followed his family.

Somewhere above an old man looked on. That's what Christmas is about, he thought. Family, the best gift of all.

He shook his head. It had taken the faith of a little child. The sleigh moved forward and the man smiled as he tucked a small note in his pocket. "No Joe, this wasn't too big of a present."


End file.
